A new Upgraded Points study assesses the 100 most-populated U.S. cities on elements like seller sentiment and government-set loan limits to develop a well-rounded view of where veterans and active-duty service members may find the best opportunities for homeownership through the VA loan program.

Study Methodology

To find the most accessible U.S. cities for veterans seeking VA loans, the top 100 most-populated cities were ranked based on six factors, including the percentage of home listings accepting VA loan financing (sourced from Redfin), the VA loan coverage ratio (comparing FHA loan limits to median home prices from Realtor.com), and the total volume of VA loans issued in 2024 per capita. The latter was further categorized into purchase, cash-out refinance, and interest rate reduction refinance loans (IRRRLs) from VA loan data. Census population info was utilized to calculate per-capita rankings to correct population discrepancies.

Each factor was weighted according to its influence on VA loan accessibility, and each corresponding factor score was summed to give each city a score between 0 and 100, with 100 being the highest possible accessibility score.

Best U.S. Cities for Buying a Home with a VA Loan

These top cities have affordable housing markets and supportive VA loan policies:

1. Jacksonville, Florida: 85.9

2. Colorado Springs, Colorado: 81.4

3. Dayton, Ohio: 81.8

4. Little Rock, Arkansas: 79.7

5. Lakeland, Florida: 79.1

Most Difficult U.S. Cities for VA Loan Accessibility

These cities have higher home prices and low accessibility to VA-friendly listings:

1. San Francisco, California: 1.3

2. San Jose, California: 2.3

3. Boston, Massachusetts: 3.7

4. New York City, New York: 3.9

5. Lost Angeles, California: 7.5

Visit the study online to find the insights mapped, deeper analysis, and the results for all 100 cities.